Is Chatting Online Good?

Adolescents improve emotional health through instant messaging

 

 

Today, we mostly hear about the negative effects of using technology, but technology has also streamlined our lives and made us a more connected society.

Could there be any other benefits to using technology?

For adolescents, technology is a means of communication, and using online chat to talk with friends can have positive emotional effects.

Teach your teen to put words to their feelings

Michal Dolev-Cohen, PhD, and Azy Barak, PhD, of the Department of Counseling and Human Development at the University of Haifa, Israel, conducted a study on adolescents’ use of technology, particularly instant messaging (IM).

For the study, two hundred IM conversations from adolescents’ aged 14 to 18 were analyzed, 150 of the adolescents reported having negative feelings prior to IMing and the other 50 reported normal/positive feelings before IMing.

The researchers looked at the participants emotional states before and after their IMing conversations. A questionnaire was also given to determine each participant’s level of introversion and extroversion.

Those adolescents who were distressed before chatting online reported feeling better afterwards. The analysis showed the same thing, that emotionally distressed adolescents felt relief after having an IM conversation with a peer.

While the distressed adolescents did not report complete relief from instant messaging, significant improvement in their emotional state was reported.

The researchers suggested that the act of writing to friends about feelings in IM conversations relieved distress and promoted well-being in the adolescents.

“Writing–as opposed to talking–enables…more authentic sharing of thoughts and feelings,” said Dr. Dolev-Cohen and Dr. Barak.

The study also found that for introverts, online chatting with friends may have even greater benefits.

This study became available online August 24th for Computers in Human Behavior. No statements about funding were made and no conflicts of interest were noted.

Wedding Dress Woes: Don't "Weight" For It

"There must be something wrong with this scale too!" you bawl as you frantically hop on and off the scale. You hope that there is some dark sinister reason for the results... maybe the scale has 'gravity plating', maybe the scale is actually an artificial gravity generator, maybe there's a wormhole forming just above your head ... if only it was that simple! Before you start to beat yourself over the head (a common bridal reflex action) remember that the damage is reversible. Here are 3 simple steps to get back into shape.

Step 1. Set Goals... REALISTIC Goals!

Yes, you may already have clear-cut weight loss goals, but are they realistic? You cannot change your basic body shape so don't diet to get thin, your aim is to get slim. The love handles need to go, but the curves stay! Keep away from crash diets; a crash diet is like your 'bad boy' high school crush - utterly gorgeous, unbearably tempting, but you know it will never work and you will just get your heart broken! Before you decide on a specific diet plan, you need to find out your current BMI (Body Mass Index), your ideal BMI, and your ideal calorie intake.

Step 2. Plan your Diet & Exercise Schedule (Around your Wedding Schedule)

You are going to be immersed waist-deep in wedding preparations, so do not plan elaborate meals. When it comes to a bridal diet plan, your best bet is to keep it simple. Make a list of your favorite fruits and veggies, so that you can simply toss together a delicious but satisfying salad at the end of a long day. Unscheduled meetings with florists, caterers, or entertainers can disrupt the best laid plans; unfortunately, this is unavoidable. Keep your handbag/tote stocked with low calorie snacks so that you do not have to grab your meal at the nearest fast food restaurant. You need to decide on a specific timing for your workout and stick to it. Don't skip a workout, unless it is unavoidable and on these days make sure that you go for a walk after dinner or simply use the stairs instead of the elevator.

Step 3. Eat Several Small Meals - Yes, Size Matters!

Skip those button-popping meals and power up with several small meals! This will prevent hunger pangs and binging and so you will find it much easier to stick to your diet. You don't have to stick to just salads and soups, there are a plenty of low calorie meal options such as Green Beans with Red Potatoes, Roasted Potatoes with Garlic & Oregano, and Spinach & mushroom scramble. Pamper yourself with delicious desserts like fresh banana bread, a sliver of cheesecake or a yogurt popsicle. If small meals cannot satisfy your hunger, you should consider Psyllium husk. I believe that Psyllium husk is the answer to every bride's prayers - you can eat a small meal and still be satisfied! All you need to do is mix 1-2 teaspoons of Psyllium husk powder in a glass of water/orange juice and drink this about 15 minutes before your meals; since Psyllium husk is made up of fiber it makes you feel full and so even a small meal is quite satisfying.

 
Don't let the wedding fever and frenzy get to you. Set aside a minimum of 15 minutes a day for casual conversation with your partner; do not discuss anything related to the wedding during this time. Spend a little time everyday in meditation or practicing deep breathing exercises. Just before you go to bed, count your blessings: you found the perfect partner, your wedding is going to be amazing... and you are a stunning bride!

Nodding Off at the Workplace Just Got The Nod

The Narcoleptic Argentinean in the Baz Luhruman film Moulin Rouge sleeps at the drop of a hat. In the middle of a song, a dance, or a waltz he's knocked into an unconscious reverie. You might not have so much luck as to be allowed such liberty, but sleep is never elusive when at work! At noon, when the stock charts start to befuddle you and the excel sheets stare vaguely at you, step out of out of work and sink into a short slumber. There's nothing like a power nap to refresh and re-energize you. Well, it's only the mark of a genius to snooze off and let ideas formulate in this unconscious state. The eccentric surrealist painter of the melting clocks - Salvador Dali, would enjoy sleeping for micro seconds in the afternoon with a metal key in his hand. As Dali fell asleep, the key would fall onto the overturned plate on the floor and clank him awake. Not only was Dali revivified by these short naps, but Thomas Edison and Winston Churchill too delighted in napping at work.

An experiment conducted by the University of Düsseldorf, Germany underscored the effectiveness of daytime naps. Participants, who napped for either a short or a long time during the 60 minute retention interval, were better able to recall the list of 30 words. Those who stayed awake during this time could not remember as many words from the list. To get the most out of your daytime nap however, it's important to drive out the guilt with the knowledge of power nap benefits. Imagine forcing yourself to conceptualize innovative products like a pencil printer which uses lead to print documents or writing impossible-to-break codes for your software company while dying to sleep! Chances are your final product will not be as polished or you might spend all of your time trying to come up with a solution for an otherwise simple problem. A power nap helps diffuse stress and improves alertness and productivity. It's like going to the mountain tops just to sing to the birds and to listen to the gurgling waterfall before heading back to the cottage just in time to complete the sewing before dusk.

How long should a power nap be? Is it best to indulge in longer naps to feel that much more energized? Here's some information that will help you determine the duration of your power naps. The National Sleep Foundation has recommended that teenagers and shift workers sleep for about 20 - 30 minutes during the day. Wake before you enter the REM sleep, which is at around 90 minutes, else you'll end up feeling groggy and lethargic. Set an alarm or ask a colleague to wake you in time. Fit power naps into your daily routine, but make sure you don't miss important meetings and conferences while snoozing!

Chatty colleagues and chunking keyboard sounds might make it difficult to hunch over and sleep at the desk, but there are a number of places where you can cocoon yourself. The most serene place is your office library. The stacked racks that watch over you while you sleep give the somnolence a snug location. Another not-so-grand spot to droop without being noticed is the office bathroom. Make your royal chamber comfortable by putting down the seat cover and set your phone alarm so that you don't have someone break open the door in desperation. Store rooms and conference rooms are other places to rest tranquilly. Master the art of sitting reverentially as if in deep thought at a conference, but at a slight distance from your boss or presenter.